BACKGROUND: The development of SS camouflage items was initiated by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler in 1935 when he tasked the Reichsführung-SS, (National Leadership of the SS), to begin research of new camouflage patterns and garments for use by the fledgling SS-VT, SS-Verfugüngstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops). In late 1936 and early 1937 the first SS camouflage garments were issued to personnel of the SS-VT Standarte Deutschland for field testing and evaluation. The first items evaluated were the Quarter shelters/ponchos, followed by steel helmet covers, face masks and smocks. As the war continued various other clothing items were produced in the assorted camouflage patterns. Originally the camouflage patterns were all produced in the time consuming manual screen printing until the development of the machine roller printing in 1940. The Plane Tree camouflage pattern was originally developed in 1936 in six subtlety different models and was utilized by SS-VT personnel until a new Plane Tree pattern was developed in 1940. The new 1940 Plane Tree camouflage patterns was also produced in six subtlety different models that were manufactured up until 1944 and utilized through-out the war. The very earliest, first pattern camouflage helmet covers had the securing rocker clips handstitched in place until modifications in 1937 when the hand stitching was replaced with the more practical and less time consuming rivet attachment. After the introduction of the rocker clip rivet attachment the camouflage helmet covers remained unmodified until regulations of mid-1942 when foliage loops were added to the covers. The camouflage helmet covers were issued in three sizes with size "3" indicating large, size "2" indicating medium and size "1" indicating small. Of Note: The helmet shells were issued in six sizes with sizes 60 and 62, being small, sizes 64 and 66 being medium and sizes 68 and 70 being large.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: First pattern,  water resistant, cotton duck, triple panel, construction helmet cover with handstitched rocker clips, no foliage loops and the manual, screen printed, early Plane Tree #4 camouflage pattern as developed in 1936, and produced up until 1940. The reversible helmet cover features the random, Plane Tree #4, splotch pattern and has distinctly different colorations to the summer and autumn sides, with the summer side being in shades of browns, tans and greens and the autumn side in shades of browns and orangish/tan. The cover consists of three, machine sewn panels with a semi-circular, vertical panel to each side and a large, central, rectangular panel to fit the contours of the helmet. The printed, camouflage pattern numeral, "4", is visible on both the summer and autumn sides at the front of the central rectangular panel. The bottom edge of cover has three, black anodized, aluminum, securing rocker clips handstitched in place. The rocker clips are situated with one to each side panel and one to the reverse center. Each of the rocker clips are also attached to a vertical, tunnel looped, steel spring. The bottom edges of the springs are stitched to the rocker clips while the top edges of the springs are stitched directly to the cover. The vertical, tunnel looped, springs provided the necessary tension to secure the cover to the helmet and all three are still quite taunt. The forward edge of the cover has a dual-ply, overlapping lip, with three rows of reinforcement stitching to the bottom edge and an additional row of heavy stitching designed to fit snugly over the helmet’s forward visor. The cover is in overall good condition with minor color fading and age toning and numerous small picks and pulls. The cover has no visible size markings but appears to be a size, 3, (large), as it fits snugly on a size 68 helmet shell. Scarce, early, first pattern camouflage helmet cover.

GRADE ***1/2                             -POR (Price on Request) (Preis: auf Anfrage)